Legacy of Kain Wiki:Manual of Style
The Legacy of Kain Wiki's Manual of Style is a collection of guidelines designed to set a rough standard for the writing and appearance of articles on this wiki, as well as provide some basic tips and a suggested layout for the content that should be present on article pages. These styling points are not rules, but general guidelines to encourage good editing practice and maintain a standard that is detailed whilst being easy to understand and approachable to edit. General Page Tips Dialect and Language As this Wiki is on the English Wikia network, all articles and posts should be written in the English Language. Furthermore, due to the location of the developers of the Legacy of Kain series, U.S. (American) English is the preferred dialect for the site; though other English language variations are acceptable. Though the Legacy of Kain Wiki is an English language Wiki, Wikis do have the option to set up 'Sister projects' in other languages. At present sister 'Legacy of Kain Wiki' sites exist in German (Deutsch), Spanish (Español), Russian (Русский), Polish (Polski) and Italian (Italiano) - and other language versions can be created (to translate or simply expand the wiki concept into different languages) through native language versions of the Wikia Main page. Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation and Formatting As this wiki is a formal attempt to document all aspects of the series, proper spelling, grammar and punctuation is expected on all articles (though mistakes are understandable and can always be corrected later). 'Standard' (American) English is desirable over less formal varieties of the language. To ensure approachability for fans and newcomers alike, the text of an article should be easily readable and flow smoothly. Where possible, large quantities of 'featureless' text should be avoided and broken down either into smaller headlined sections or themed paragraphs. (see Page Layout Guide below). Images may also be used sparingly to illustrate the article. Canon Policy and Sources Information contained on articles should be accurate and verifiable. Speculation, theories and opinion should not be posted in articles, unless supported by verifiable sources. As this is an attempt to document the 'official' Legacy of Kain series, fan-works such as fan-fiction, fan-art should not be hosted here - though articles dealing with the folklore and history of the fan-community itself are permitted. Where possible, all resources should be referenced (see Page Layout Guide below) and credit given to the respective author where applicable. Recommended resources include: gameplay, game transcripts/scripts, game manuals, Prima official guides, former official websites, developer interviews and fan- and other game industry-websites. Copying Direct copy-pasting from external sources is not tolerated, as website owners have expressed dismay over this practice; small excerpts may however be quoted (If referenced and credited). Though generally discouraged, material from Wikipedia and Wikia-network pages (including the Legacy of Kain Wiki) are covered by a free-use license and may be copied if no other information exists (though content may need to be adapted or re-written to conform to Legacy of Kain Wiki standards and credited where appropriate). Copying coding from within the Legacy of Kain Wiki may be particularly useful for those inexperienced in wiki coding. Page Layout Guide This section gives a basic generalized guide to the layout of a Legacy of Kain Wiki article and some tips for content The information under this section will be covered in two tiers: '' '''Basics:' The basic information that should be covered for each part. Advanced: Top tips for creating the perfect article. Article Introductions Basics: A small paragraph or sentence (without a headline) generally introducing the subject of the article. At the most basic level it should feature the title of the article (and alternate names if applicable) in bold and the game in which the subject appears in italics (and linked). If available, an appropriate image should also be placed here. Advanced: An appropriate infobox template or small profile section should also be placed atop the page and its information filled in. (If in doubt, infobox templates can be copied from similar pages and altered to suit). An appropriate Quote or Qlisten (sound sample) template, should be placed if applicable. Role Basics: For less detailed articles, the main body of the article should be headlined 'Role' (as above). Generally this section should provide the bulk of the detail about the subject. At a basic level, the main section should describe the subject and their function in the series (character/enemy/item/company/developer etc.), detail any known history or attributes, and present where the subject features. Advanced: For sufficiently detailed articles, the Main body of the article may be broken down into multiple headlined sections. In such cases, the 'Role' sections remain at the top of the article and should be used to detail the known history of the subject; by game as 'Role', or chronologically as 'History'. The section itself may be appropriately broken down into smaller headlined sections dealing with particular events or groups of events. Larger articles can be expanded to include a second Main body headline - 'Background' - dealing with non-narrative issues. This section can also be broken down into smaller headlined sections - some suggestions include: *'Appearance' - Visual presentations and evolution across the series. *'Personality'/'Powers'/'Traits'/'Characteristics' (as appropriate) - Particular unique character traits and attributes. *'Development' - Real world background and conceptual development. (with 'Real World Banner' template) *'Etymology' - Origins of names or terms *'Cut content' Deleted or removed events featuring the subject. Notes Basics: A list of related notes, further observations and relevant miscellanea that cannot be accommodated in the main body of the article. Advanced: The list should be presented in bullet points. Sufficiently detailed notes should be 'upgraded' to their own sections in the main body of the article. Appearances Basics: A list of the games or titles in which the subject features. Advanced: The list should be presented in bullet points and linked appropriately, along with icons and author credit (where applicable). See also Basics: A list of similar or highly related articles from within the Legacy of Kain Wiki, or other useful articles and external links . Advanced: The list should be presented in bullet points and linked appropriately, along with icons and author credit (where applicable). If necessary, a disambiguation 'about' template may be added to distinguish similarly titled pages. References Basics: Sources of information should be identified to make sure articles are verifiable. At the most basic level this should include a list of resources under 'References'. see Legacy of Kain Wiki:Referencing for more referencing tips. Advanced: An scrolling 'reflist' box template should be provided under 'References' and filled by placing appropriate reference templates within the text of the article. see Legacy of Kain Wiki:Referencing for a detailed explanation. Final Touches Basics: In the introduction, the name of the title (and any alternate titles) should be presented in bold. Game or resource titles, should be presented in italics. Quotes should be "quoted and italicized". Pages should be appropriately categorized. Advanced: Any applicable 'Banner' templates should be added at the top of the appropriate section. Any applicable Navigation (Navbox) templates should be placed at the bottom of the page along with any applicable 'Language links' (links to identical pages on other language 'Legacy of Kain Wiki' sister sites). For Further Styling points see Wikipedia's Manual of Style Category:Legacy of Kain Wiki